Leaving Moralton
by taurinbizarre
Summary: For all I know are three things…One is that I lost the one girl who loved me. Two is that the whole town of Moralton is trying to kill me, and the Mayor of Moralton (my own dad) has approved of this execution. And three is that I may not make it out of this apartment alive. So you might as well read this book, it could very likely be my last will and testament.


**Leaving Moralton **

**By Orel Puppington**

Orel Puppington woke up this morning; he was not his same chipper self

Instead he felt something inside of him was broken.

He walked down the stairs, Mom hates dad, Dad hates mom.

So that's when he decided to make a change.

He died his hair jet black

And started wearing chains and black clothes,

Everyone looked at him differently

They were afraid

He stopped talking.

Everyone wondered what was wrong

But he could care less,

He was indifferent,

This was how it had to be.

Good Ol' Dad pulled out his belt to keep Orel in line

He was drunk and ready to beat him.

But Orel at this point could care less, nothing mattered.

Dad didn't understand and slapped Orel across his eyeliner smeared face.

Orel was numb,

Nothing mattered.

Mom wouldn't talk to Orel,

She just taunted him every time he passed by.

All of Orel's friends became startled

As his Gothic figure walked on by.

But once again he could not care less.

Grandpa the one parental figure who cared

Was ill he only had a couple of months

But this was enough to break Orel's heart.

No one really cared about him anymore.

in a so-called religious town

When your different people notice

And you might be the one they judge or blame

Who knows?

Orel just wanted someone to be there for him. But no one ever was.

**Prologue:**

**Orel Puppington's Confessional **

**My Name is Orel Puppington.**

**I am fifteen years old today is my birthday. **

**And at this point, someone is banging at the door **

**It's probably my ****friend ****sworn enemy Doughy Latchkey, he is wielding some sort of weapon and all I know is that he must have followed me here.**

**I am sitting here at Daniel Stopframe's Apartment on his couch somewhere in downtown Moralton while he's at work... **

**I am Scarred, alone and weak. For all I know are three things…One is that I lost the one girl who loved me. Two is that the whole town of Moralton is trying to kill me, and the Mayor of Moralton (my own dad) has approved of this execution. And three is that I may not make it out of this apartment alive. So you might as well read this book, it could very likely be my last will and testament. Because after today this is will possibly be all that is left of me…**

**So…**

I am very new at doing this Confessional type thing so if I don't

Tell you everything that I should I am sorry. And the last almost year or so has been the greatest and probably the weirdest time of my life. When I was young I would sit behind an old stop action camera from the 1920's and do short films that would express how I felt and would tell something about my misadventures, trust me you'll hear about them all throughout this confessional written on the following sheets of paper. But how did I find the camera you ask? Well one day I was at a garage sale I was only...well about eight years old. And I first saw the camera sitting in a pile of useless junk, it was old and falling apart. I asked my mom for the camera and since my parents are stingy people who can be called a lot worse (and I will call them a lot worse throughout this book so don't you worry) they said no, and once the lady running the garage sale told us it was useless and she wanted to get rid of it so she was giving it away for free. They jumped on the idea not having to spend a dime. It was a distraction I guess that's why they bought it for me. So they would not have to spend time with me. And I made the shortest and the weirdest films out of stop animation using all of my bible action figures. I used Jesus in almost and if not every one. The camera ran off of old 8 millimeter film with the camera they threw in all of these unused and old reels. And as soon as I turned twelve I decided to do a feature length film. I called it "Moral Orel", because that's what I thought of myself as, moral Orel the morally correct and the person along the path of the righteous. So was everyone else in my town…yeah right, I see differently now. You'll read about that in here too. So once I did this movie I loved it! I held a premiere in my backyard. Everyone in town came. My friend now sworn enemy Doughy Latchery and I sat behind the pee-stained bed sheet we borrowed from my dad's bed and pinned it to the clothesline, to project the movie off of. He was embarrassed and soon so would I. I would be embarrassed about something much worse. I constructed the figurines for the movie out of normal household supplies. The animation was shit! And I would have never used this word in my life before my fourteenth year. But I loved it; the movie was amazing to me. And it now reminds me of a simpler time. Where I was naive and happy. But this memory is ruined when the towns bully Joe got bored so he came behind the screen. Took the microphone from Doughy and he ruined the movie by doing his own little "voice over". He used the voice over to insult everyone in town, everyone that attended. They all looked shocked and appalled. Later I learned the hard way everything he said was true. And I was embarrassed. I was ashamed and the whole town looked at my movie my artwork that some stupid jackass ruined. He misused everything I have done and said to get some sort of rise out of everyone. All of that hard work just has gone to hell. I told him to stop in front of everyone and I even said "you're ruining my movie" but he did nothing to stop! At the time I shrugged it off and said to myself "I wonder what else has been misinterpreted" and I held one of my many bibles in one hand and scratched my head. I didn't see the irony, and it was right in front of me in my hand. I was clueless.

So now I know ignorance is bliss.

And I was living it.

One morning I had a near death experience. Well three of them, actually and my dad grounded me from church. He knew my weakness very well. Because the beatings weren't doing it so I went batshit crazy without church I even made a church out of a cardboard box. And I was loosing touch as I can see now.

And I would dress in my suit every morning for church. Dad would tease me "Why you so dressed up son?" because I thought he changed his mind and he said no he hugged my mom and told me smiling very sadistically that if I didn't go to church I was going to hell. And that church gave you life insurance. Insurance for heaven, and he rubbed it in my face and made fun of me relentlessly. Until, probably day ten without church. And I constructed the cardboard model of the Moralton Church. And my dad came into my room and said "no cheating" that cruel son of a bitch! He threw it in the trash. I walked outside and put it on and wore it like a shining suit of gold. I walked around and there was with it on. There was a lightening storm. Doughy came up to me and laughed "you look like a church!" he wasn't always the smartest. It shows by his grades. I responded "I am a church." And soon we crawled to the very top of a building. I grabbed a metal antenna when the lightening struck me right in the head. Doughy stood still scared half to death, and I blacked out.

I saw nothing but darkness; I was back in my mother's womb it was wet and dark. And I was dead. But suddenly there was light and I found myself back in the hospital, I was one step closer to Heaven. I wanted to see it for myself! And I was thinking _I got to die again! _

We were back home and the storm was gone and the sun was shining. In my house I got my finger wet with water. Doughy was saying "I don't think this is such a good idea Orel." but I dismissed it and unscrewed the light bulb from the socket I climbed up and touched my wet finger to the socket. And then I was dead again.

I woke up in The Church this time I was being raptured! I was naked standing at the podium. The room was dark. But it looked like it was lit by candlelight. The church was dead empty. And I looked down at my body thinking _don't my clothes get raptured with me?_ The doors of the church opened a white light shined through I was going to heaven. and I woke up once again in the hospital bed.

So now everyone around me seemed tired. And the doctor said one more shock of electricity and I was done for. And that's when I was stupid. I told Doughy standing beside me to shock me with the electric little pads and he tried to say no. But I didn't take it for an answer. So I was off again. And this time I saw heaven. It was nothing like you would expect.

And when I woke up I tried to tell everyone this, they looked at me shocked. And good ol' dad put a hand over my mouth and spoke for me; apparently I saw "fluffy clouds" and shit like that. What a joke!

So when he was beating me in his study I saw myself broken in two. Literally I was two halves And every time he spanked me I saw myself put back together I saw myself put back as a whole, slowly but surely, and after the beating he said he wants me to go on a father son hunting trip…

I smiled naively

I was back to normal

And a father son hunting trip…"and how!" I said.

This was the biggest mistake I have ever made.

**I:**

**Orel Puppington the Christian Goth**

**(The Failed Exorcism and the Incident involving**

**Orel, Christina and Clay) **

It never used to be this way. I got sad sometimes but I was never this way. My name is Orel Puppington I am now a Christian Goth I am fourteen years old and up until this time in my life I was happy, how wrong I was. You see my dad drinks, more than anyone should and when I was twelve we went on this father son hunting trip. I saw a side of him no one ever should of course he was drunk and he shot me in the leg. I had to wear a cast up until near Christmas time I would like to believe it was an accident but now I am just so dark and depressed and I have learned the hard way that this life is nothing but heartache and misery. I am telling you this because I hope you'll listen to me. If you do you are the only ones who ever have. So here's what happened my grandfather passed away, this is when I was what they call here in Morlaton "along the path of the righteous" I say to that I still am, I am just someone else. I am in the same body only different, I wear all black with mascara and eyeliner I even dyed my hair black. I have a studded belt and big black boots. I am not the same "Orel Puppington" that I was I am completely different. And all of my friends or as you called them still talk to me, yeah my friend Doughy Latchery tried to convert me back into the old Orel. He and the whole town have tried to give me an Exorcism a few months ago; they all gathered with bibles started beating me with them and started dousing me in holy water, this all started when I walked past the Pharmacy. As I passed Dr. Potterswheel the town doctor open his door and screamed behind me "There he is, Get him!" my ears started to buzz. They thought I was possessed by Satan or the Antichrist or something like that. So the whole town grabbed me and held me down Mr. Figguerelli and Officer Papermouth put a gag in my mouth while I just tried to break free of the crowd. They both screamed at me "This is for your own good Orel!" I was dragged for a couple of blocks to the church. Someone was carrying a cross. It was none other than my life long friend Doughy, I found out he was the one who was behind the Exorcism. He is now fourteen years old like me. But he's not like a regular fourteen year old. He acts more like he did when he was nine. He still wears the same old clothes he did too. He always wears this beanie hat with a propeller type thing on top. He likes to come by my house a lot everyday and play on a jungle gym that was taken down a long time ago. I used to tell him everything, the last thing I told him was that I told him once when I had this…well it was a thought of the substitute teacher we had one week I was thirteen I had a thought that I probably shouldn't talk about. But it was a thought where well…I'll just say it I feel like I can already trust you, I had this thought that she wanted to see me after school and how can I say this she wanted to have sex with me. But the bell rang before the thought was over and I woke up. I enjoyed the thought very much so I worried there might be something wrong with me. In church Reverend Putty says that "god hates masturbation" and that "premarital sex is a one way ticket to hell." I believed him too. I was once told also that there is a lost commandment "Thou shall only have sex face to face man on top." The thought I had was nothing like that. But I can tell you about that later. Anyway I told Doughy about this thought he looked at me for a few seconds and then he looked kind of sick. I asked him "Doughy are you okay?" and he tried to run inside but instead he puked on the grass. Maybe I went into too much detail. He gasped "I am telling" I ran after him "No Doughy don't!" he ran to my room where my Grandfather was in his bed Then he told him about it. I ran upstairs I was too late. He didn't say much to me after Doughy left he just said "It's not wrong to think about these things Orel. I just want you to be responsible about it, it's perfectly natural for your age. Just don't go telling people like Doughy these things." I asked "What about what Reverend Putty said." He laughed a bit and said "what about what Reverend Putty Said?"

"He said that any thoughts I have about sex are bad and it's a sin to think about…you know what I thought about." He laughed some more he than spat up a bit of blood. He did this sometimes. I got used to it. And he said "It's just natural Orel, don't worry you'll be fine, I know you will." Anyway _how could he do this to me?_ Is the thing I was thinking. I was screaming and screaming I kicked and pushed still trying to escape. Mrs. Sculptham my teacher stopped the line she looked me in the eye and said "Okay Orel, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." I reached for my gag and pulled it free a bit and shouted "What is going on? What's this all about? What are you going to do to me? Kill Me?!" she leaned down next to me on the sidewalk and now she was looking a bit I don't know crazy. "No Orel this is called an Exorcism, you may have learned about it in church." I was breathing heavy and I said "What? Why do I need an exorcism? I am not even possessed! This is just crazy!" Mrs. Sculptham turned to Coach Stopframe and said sounding a bit happy that this was all happening to me "That's your cue Daniel, the demon is now speaking for him. Tie him down." My gym coach, Coach Stopframe looked a bit worried and said "This is insane alright? Orel is not possessed he's just going through some sort of weird Goth phase let's just take the gag out of his mouth and let him go." Then my mom showed up, she was frowning at Coach Stopframe she spit in his face and screamed almost. "Daniel you better tie him down if you know what's good for you." I couldn't believe it! Why was my own mom doing this to me? The town looked around He looked around and sighed loudly. "But Blobberta!" he tried to argue my mom interrupted him "You better do as I say Daniel." Coach Stopframe hissed "Or what Blobberta?" Coach Stopframe he was arguing again mom gave a nasty look at Coach Stopframe and whispers "I know the things you've done with my husband. I will tell everyone you faggot!" Coach Stopframe seemed to shiver a bit and he walked out of the line and pulled some rope out of a bag that my mom handed to him. The gag was still in my mouth Coach Stopframe looked a little sad and said "Orel I am sorry…Just hold perfectly still this will all be over soon Orel." I was thinking _why is Coach Stopframe against me? What is going on?"_ for once a couple of winters ago, I still had crutches from where my dad shot me and Coach Stopframe gave Christmas I could ever want. It was so perfect in everyday and he showed me he cared. I remember picking out a Christmas Tree with him he took me back to his apartment to decorate it. And he and I went ice skating drank hot chocolate he really cared about me and then my dad shows up drunk at his apartment pretending with my mom and my little brother Shapey to be Christmas carolers. He busted in and I saw a framed photograph of my dad. I then knew Coach Stopframe "loves dad like my mom does." He chuckled and said "Your mom loves your dad?" (well not really "love") but they were like two boyfriends together. They split up right before my eyes, once my dad came in the door drunk. He said to Coach Stopframe that he needed him. Mom was standing there looking very angry when she heard this. But enough is enough and I screamed back

Before Stupefaction could tie me down, "Get away from me! I am not possessed, I am just very, very depressed!" they all stopped and looked at me in a weird way. My reverend, his name is Rod Putty but I just call him Reverend Putty looked at me he seemed mad and he asked me "what are me sermons to you Orel? Do you gather anything from them at all?" I just said "I do alright? It's just I—"

He interrupts "It's just that you what?"

I sigh and everyone stares "I just-don't know anymore. I give up I can't take this pain I feel any longer. I just don't know what to do with myself. But I am not possessed alright, I am just someone else. And this just ridiculous, all of you must have something better to do with your time than try to perform some exorcism on me!"

Reverend putty stares the town is silent

Doughy steps out of the crowd

And looks at me with this angry look I can't quite understand.

"Orel, you're my only friend, and I refuse to loose you." He walks away. The whole town walks away that was that and I took the gag out of my mouth.

The whole town is against me ever since that day.

Doughy still scowls when he sees me and he will spread these really weird rumors about me, the whole town believes them.

When you live in a town like Moralton I've learned that people make a big deal over something really small. It's a small town and I never used to think this way about the town, I used to think every adult was perfect in every way. But I know now that will never be true. As much as I want it to be it never will. And when my grandfather died it really did something to me. I know he was sick I knew he was going to die. But I just wish he could come back, he was the only person who cared.

And now, I am alone in a world of people who don't want to hear me or care about me. In a world of people like my dad or Doughy, who abandoned me, but there is still one last person out there. I know there is.

Christina and I are madly in love, my dad and my mom had her family over for dinner. But she went to "a different kind of heaven" than we do. So she moved away and now our families hate each other. But all of this goes away with Christina we sit in the fields for hours with each other; I mean we can talk about anything. I mean when we are together the world disappears and there we are. She doesn't mind the way I am. She never did. And around her I feel safe to smile and be happy. There was one day I remember, we looked into each others eyes and we smile and I say to her out of nowhere "Christina, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." And I think to myself "Oh no what did I just say?" but she smiles and says "What if I felt the same way." And that was the first time I ever kissed her, we sat there for hours just kissing each other. And that's what we did ever since. My dad doesn't know about Christina and I. He has no idea we're even together. But like all the good things in this world they all have to turn bad sometime.

It was another time in the fields, we were making out, and we do this every time we're together. Stephanie is Reverend Putty's daughter she works at this shop that a lot of people in Moralton tend to avoid, it's a small shop and my dad forbids me to go there, mostly because it's what everyone else known as a sex shop. And I had no idea, really I had no idea. He told me "why are you hanging around with someone like Stephanie" I told her like no one else in Moralton she has a warm personality that kind of makes you feel better about yourself and makes you feel better period that's why I liked her. After my dad was done beating me and lecturing me, he told me that I was not to hang out with her. But as usual I didn't listen. So I go to her shop on a daily basis, she cares about me but she worries about me, she says to me that I have "a shitty outlook on life." And that I am "too fucking hard on myself". I know she means well and that's why I keep coming back. Stephanie is the only one in town who wants me to be with Christina. That's also why I like her. So one day Christina and I are in the fields we make out and I feel a hand on my shoulder it's my dad1 I look up and there he is, my dad and he scowls you can smell some sort of liquor on his breath "Come on Orel, Let's go now." He drags me to the car. Christina gasps "Orel!" I know something has to be done and I run the other way and escape his grip. He's screaming now "Come On Orel, we can do this the hard way or the easy way." He grabs me again and I scream back "Dad! Let go, your drunk!" Dad slaps me across my face, Christina gasps. Dad mumbles "Goddamn right I am you little piss ant! Now come on Orel! We're going to have a long talk in my study!" I run and this time successfully escapes. And I hold Christina's hand. "Come On, Christina we got to go!" and we run into the grass until it reaches our knees.

Dad screams after me "Run you little piece of shit! Run with your little slutty girlfriend! I don't give a shit anymore! You are not my son!"

He gets in the car and drives away. We wait for a few seconds and we look at one another, we are scared and not knowing what will happen next. And Christina is almost crying "Orel I am Scared" I look at her and hold her close I say to her as quietly as I can "Christina it's okay, he will never hurt you. I promise."

And she is now sobbing "Orel, I don't think it's safe for us to be together anymore."

Now I am crying "Oh Christina please don't say that. I can't live without you."

Christina looks me in the eye and says to me "You'll have to learn how."

My life is now over.

**II:**

**The Long Walk into Town.**

So now, I walk into town crying with everyone staring at me. Doughy walks up to me and scowls he has a jar of holy water in his hand. I sigh "What is it Doughy?" he splashes me in the face with the holy water he shouts "Repent! Repent! Sinner! Repent!" I push him out of my way and keep walking. "Save it Doughy." He shouts at me everyone in town is now staring, they mutter things like "That kid is a fucking freak!" and "Yeah well if you give him attention you're giving that little fucking creep exactly what he wants" Yeah, just what I needed. Doughy shouts at me as I walk on down the sidewalk "You're the problem Orel! You're going to hell unless you change back to what you were." I narrow my eyes and look back him and sigh "You're just like the rest Doughy I thought you were my friend, I shoulder known better. You're the problem." And I continue to walk.

When I get to my house the door is locked. My mom usually does this to keep me out. So I go around the back and crawl up the side of the house to my room. And my mom is waiting there, she has it in for me, I can tell. She has an angry look on her face and she says "What were you doing with that girl?"

All I can say is "We were just hanging out alright?"

Mom scowls "Don't take that tone with me; I know exactly what you were doing. You know what I don't care anymore Orel, you want to have sex with that whore then use a condom and keep me out of it"

I scowl "It's not like that, and if you already know what we're doing than why did you ask me?"

My mom gets angrier and she scowls

"Don't be a smartass Orel. You think your pretty slick don't ya?

Well whatever I don't care anymore Orel. Do whatever you want"

Mom storms out of the room and I mutter to myself when I know she can't hear me "Well that's nothing new for you not to care now is it?"

I lay down on my bed, and I cry for the longest time

I must have blacked out sooner or later.

**III:**

**Orel Experiences Suicidal Thoughts**

When I woke up I had all of these thoughts in my head. But only one made sense, since my life is over, there's no point in living. I thought of ways to do it. I thought I'd go out into the park and set myself on fire. They would all think "Oh poor Orel! we did this too him." Then they would have to live with the guilt. Right so everyone can see, but I knew if I lived Officer Papermouth would arrest me. You see suicide is illegal in Moralton. I used to think that this was a good idea I used to believe the lord's greatest gift was life. But now I believe sometimes people need a way out. So I thought about hanging myself in my bedroom. That sounded just right. So I started to write my note on a piece of notebook paper and it went something like this…

"I have tried to be the best person I could be, all I ever wanted was to be happy and praise the lord the best I could, I did for so many years. I believed all of Moralton's lies and secrets I have dealt with my parents never wanting me around and never caring about me and always hating each other behind our backs. I have dealt with you people as best as I could. How did I do it? I tried my best to pretend it didn't bother me. And I even believed myself for so many years. My faith in Jesus kept me happy. And then something changed inside of me. I am not Orel Puppington anymore. I am someone I don't even want to look in the mirror. So goodbye Moralton, Goodbye Doughy, goodbye Christina. Goodbye to everyone. When you read this note I will already be gone.

I blame not only myself but many of the townspeople.

You all did this to me.

And yes dad I blame you too.

-Orel Puppington.

I grabbed the chair from under my desk. And got an extension cord from the hall closet, I nailed the cord from the ceiling and tied a slipknot into the cord. I stood there on the chair for a second, I was lost in my thoughts the whole room started spinning. Tears ran down my face and as I put my neck in the noose, I pulled away.

I tried really hard

But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just couldn't

**IV:**

**Stephanie's Advice**

Later, I was feeling worse than ever. I went to Stephanie's Shop2 she greeted me with a smile "Oh, hey Orel…wow you like crap! What's wrong." I sniffled "Christina left me." Stephanie looked very surprised "What? Why?" I rubbed my red puffy eyes and said "My dad scared her away."

Stephanie looks a bit concerned "How?"

I say slowly "He slapped me in front of Christina; he said some horrible things too. Now she's scared of me."

Stephanie sighed "He was drunk, wasn't he?"

I sigh "Yeah. Now I just don't want to live anymore I even tried to hang myself."

Stephanie looks scared now "Oh my god! Orel, I don't know what to say?"

"She was the one reason to live. Now what good is living if I don't have her?" I continue Stephanie steps out from behind the counter and puts her hand on my shoulders "Oh Orel, please don't kill yourself. There are ways to get her back."

I lift up my head "How?"

Stephanie than tells me "I can help you Orel. I can drive you to her house and instead of killing yourself you can talk to her. That's all you can do."

I smile, but I don't really mean it, Stephanie smiles back and next thing I know I am in the back of her green pickup driving out of Moralton limits to do something that I have no idea if it will work,

Talking to Christina, but it was worth a try.

**V:**

**Orel and Christina have a plan.**

We drive to Christina's house and pull outside her window. Stephanie smiles and says "Don't worry kid, you'll do fine."

I mutter "I hope so." I find a few rocks to throw at Christina's window and I do that. Christina opens up her window with what looks a lot like tears in her eyes. She smiles a bit when she See's me.

"Is your dad here?" she asks

I look at Stephanie and say "No, It's just me and Stephanie."

She sneaks out her window slowly and steps into the back of the pickup. We're quiet and then I rub her shoulders and I smile "Christina I can't live without you. I came here, well to talk to you. I am sure we can work around my dad and well-"

She interrupts me and kisses me this time with her mouth open. And we make out for a few minutes and then she says to me "Orel, I am sorry. All I want is you, and I can't live without you. I just can't."

And I put on a big smile and I say "My dad doesn't have to know we're together. You know wouldn't it be better if we didn't have to live here." Christina smiles and says "Maybe we don't" I don't understand what she was saying for a moment and then I get it and I smile back "Christina! That's the best idea ever! Let's run away. We can be happy together! Without anyone like Doughy or my dad!"

And she smiles again "So it is decided…. We will run away together!"

And that was the beginning of the story.

Now we drive back into Moralton to gather my things.

**VI:**

**Family Dinner**

I sneak in the door. I tried to make it up to my room, but before I can I hear my dad yell "Orel, get your ass in here for dinner." He's drunk, again. I can just tell so. I sit down at the table while Christina waits with Stephanie in the pickup truck. I sit down and as usual everyone hates each other. So I think of a way to get out of dinner. Mom brings out a plate of pasta and scowls at me and then scowls at dad. Shapey sit's there screaming like he always does "Cake…Yummy!" he shouts I never knew why he does this, the town bully Joe would call Shapey a retard and say all of these things to me and everyone else. Every one of my friends…or should I say "so-called friends" because of course they all won't talk to me now, anyway sorry I am stalling the story a bit. But there was one time (or maybe a few times) that he picked up a broken bottle out of the trash can on the sidewalk outside of the church and grabbed all of our hands and slashed them open with the broken end of the bottle. We were all in pain and the worst thing I could think of saying (which I am being honest was the worst I know that might seem a bit weird) I said it with some sort of slanted smile was "that wasn't very nice Joe."

Joe kind of looked at me and grinned a little bit he then said "Well fuck you, Orel! Why don't you go home and make out with your dead grandfather, that's all you ever talk about anyway, you little pussy!"

Never in my life have I ever felt the need or desire to kill someone, but at that point I wanted to grab that bottle out of his hands and jam it through his throat.

I am if you didn't know what they call god-fearing I once heard this saying on Halloween when I was eleven. I didn't fear anything that all of the other kids my age found scary which apparently since Reverend Putty and the whole town thought that an interracial marriage was actually scary which at one point may have been to me but I have gotten over it. So anyway they had someone dressed like a Black man marrying a white woman. Displayed in the "haunted" house. I used to think this kind of thing was sinful. But now I see things much differently, and so do you (maybe). But the whole town says certain and if not a lot of thing will send you straight to hell. I actually was kind of well…you know bored with it. We got out of the haunted house they held at The Church and everyone was scared of things that I didn't know why. And I got the idea that I have never feared god before so I thought the best way to scare myself was to break all of the Ten Commandments before the night ended. I did so, even murder which is the one I feared to break. But I (well) kind of did. But after I gave up first and of course It was an accident I didn't mean to. We were crossing the street I let an old man go ahead of me I was just trying to be nice. And that's when my dad rolls around the corner in the sedan possibly drunk and blindsides the old man. Dad gets out of the car and screams "OH MY GOD OREL! YOU KILLED HIM!" I didn't know what to feel for a few seconds, I broke all Ten Commandments (well sort of) so I did it (kind of) and put my arm up in the air and shouted "Hooray, I did it!" my dad seemed lost for a few seconds.

So I had to explain it to him. And that followed with another trademark beating and lecture.

I was and actually still am a devout Christian (even though I am a Goth, I am a Christian Goth, there's still the word Christian in there.) So in someway I worship the same way as you that is if you are a Christian. Yet I am still being hated by everyone in town. Which honestly I wake up everyday not wanting to step outside. Part of what has driven my "almost" suicide.

But anyway if you still want to know about the whole "Joe" topic I can still tell you, if that's okay, well I'll just tell you anyway. I never was very good with you know…insults. But I have a lot of things I would say to Joe now. But the thing is Joe has well…stopped what he was doing. He has found something in his life that makes him better (I guess) he will still pass me in the school hallways and join in with everyone else in hating me he calls me "Goth-fag" He's still kind of is "a little fucker" as my grandfather once called him, I looked at him in the weirdest way when he said this, it took a few seconds to respond, but we just started busting out laughing, we knew it was true.

So anyway back to the story. Sorry sometimes my thoughts are racing back and forth. It's kind of the same thing when I masturbate. Once again Reverend Putty still says "God Hates Masturbation" the school principal Mr. Fakey3 and Reverend Putty tried to tell me that when I committed one single "disgusting" act I committed I what was worse than murder I murdered a thousand of potential victims just because I well. You know I don't really need to explain further. However Reverend Putty told me I don't need to sink to "the humiliating act of self pleasure" Well I used to believe that, now I just kind of won't believe anything anyone in this town says. They all have lost my trust, except for:

Stephanie

Christina

And in some weird way Coach Stopframe4 (because when he tried to tie me down seeing as how he was just following orders.)

Anyway I need to get back to the story I am going in circles once again sorry about that.

I had no way of getting out of dinner, I thought for a few seconds as snatched my plate from me and growled

"Give me that fucking plate!" I thought for a few seconds, what I should do. Then I remembered something. My Grandfather would puke up blood when he was sick. For a second that seemed like a good idea.

But there was no blood around, or anything that looks like blood.

Mom pounded the green pasta onto my plate, she seemed angry, and well what else is new? And dad sat drunk at the other end of the table. I say the same for that.

What should I do…wait! I know..

And what do you know I pretend to be sick, I start to gag.

Dad looks at me like I am some sort of three headed cat.

"What the hell are you doing?" he says.

I start to gasp for air.

Shapey screams louder "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Mom slams my plate in front of me and screams

"If you're going to act like a little freak you can go the fuck upstairs! Just stop making Shapey scream for god sakes Orel I've had enough of this shit for one day!"

Dad mimics mom "I've had enough of this shit for one day! What about me? You little bitch! How do you think I feel about having an illegitimate son? (he points to Shapey) and a little sensitive pussy son like Orel? (he points to me)"

I am so glad to be leaving this place; I rush up stairs and start packing…

Fifteen minutes later I come downstairs and I see Mom and Dad on the dinner table making out. But not like what Christina and I do. They look like they're actually trying to hurt each other. Mom slams dad against the wall and they continue to make out and grab each other and pull on their hair very very violently. They're screaming as well. Shapey stares and I feel as sorry as anyone would for him. I sneak past the dinner table and I try really had not for mom or dad to see me, Shapey grabs on to me. Finally he's silent. So we walk out the door.

Mom and dad were too "busy" to see us and we sneak out the door.

And off to wherever we were going.

We could see the world in Stephanie's green pick up.

Or at least until we get to where we are going.

Leaving town people stared at us. Doughy was there looking at us. He had a look in his eye that any of us didn't trust. He started screaming as he ran after the green pick up.

"Orel Puppington, where do you think your going! You're not going to run from me! REPENT! REPENT!" he was screaming. Christina sat still and she grabbed my hand.

Shapey screamed louder and louder.

Stephanie looked behind us "What's going on?" she asked

I looked at Christina and then at Doughy.

Christina spoke for me "Doughy's following us! Speed up we have to get out of here fast!"

Doughy screamed "You're not leaving Moralton! Not any of you! You're going to confess for your sins Orel! You must Repent Sinner! Repent!"

Stephanie Sped up. But Doughy was faster than I expected. He used to be overweight; he's lost some weight since then. So now he can run.

Fast too.

He pulled out a cross and started waving it.

"You can't run from god Orel! He will smite you down!"

The whole town started staring at us as the sun was setting.

Stephanie shouted "Oh my god! We're running low on gas!"

Christina and I gasped.

"Oh, no! Please no!" I shouted.

Doughy screamed "Yes Orel! Yes! You will pay very soon all of you sinners; I am talking to you Stephanie! Do you think Lesbian's get off easy with god?"

Stephanie was no fuming "Oh that motherfucker!"

And that's when the car stopped.

And Doughy was catching up to us.

Christina and I didn't know what to think and then Stephanie steps out of the car. And towers over Doughy

She screams "You little bastard! I am going to give you till the count of five to march your little self-righteous ass home!"

Doughy doesn't back down easily like he used to.

He stands there,

The whole town is now watching,

In the streets

From windows

From doors

Even from the rooftops of Moralton's Buildings.

They all stare, Stephanie starts to count.

"ONE…..TWO"

Doughy smiles a little bit.

And I step out of the back of the pick up.

Christina grabs my arm, so does Shapey

"Don't do it Orel." Christina says

And I kiss her and say "Don't worry I'll be fine."

"THREE…FOUR"

Before Stephanie reaches five I shout "Wait, Stephanie"

She gets distracted and looks behind her and looks at me.

I say "He's not worth it Stephanie, he's just a stupid asshole"

I stop and say to myself _wow did I just say that…that felt pretty good!_

_I have been meaning to say that for a while._

Doughy looks at me with a weird look and I say to him "That's right Doughy, march your ass home before I fucking destroy you!"

Doughy struts over to me and says "Oh yeah, you and what army."

I think for a second and then say "Me, I'll kick your ass!"

Doughy scowls as everyone is watching waiting to see what will happen, and who will win. I look around and I see Coach Stopframe smiling he's there to cheer me on. I know he is.

He laughs "I have god on my side, I will crus-"

Before he finishes that sentence,

POW!

I punch him Right in his teeth.

I knock Doughy to the cement.

The town gasps in horror and shock

The Christian Goth won. That's not what they wanted.

And I hear Coach Stopframe cheering he yells through the crowd

"YEAH! THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKIN' ABOUT! YEAH OREL!"

He cheers and everyone turns to him and gives him dirty looks

But that doesn't stop him he cheers louder

"OREL! OREL! OREL! OREL! OREL! OREL!"

Christina is shocked

Stephanie is speechless as she stumbles back to the pick up.

And Shapey starts to yell again.

I feel charged throughout my body, and that's when Doughy slowly stands up he faces me, his mouth is bloody and his lip is cut wide open, wow, I didn't know I had it in me!

Doughy sneers and pushes me "You have no gas Orel. Where are you going to go? Nowhere! You are so fucked!"

I say "Yeah, well I cut open your lip! So you are the one who is fucked."

Coach Stopframe laughs in the distance.

The town quietly gives him more dirty looks.

There's silence all around us. Doughy charges at me.

I step aside and let him bump his head on the back of the pick up.

He falls over

The town gasps in horror again and Coach Stopframe laughs harder.

And cheers louder.

And now Stephanie is laughing

Christina lets out a little chuckle. But Doughy won't give up that easily. He grabs a rock and throws it at me; it hits me right in my nuts.

I fall to the ground and that's when Doughy gets on top of me and beats the crap out of me. the whole town cheers, and my vision starts to give out. Stephanie and Christina try to pull Doughy off of me and I hear Shapey scream louder.

I start to black out,

I can't see a thing because everyone's on top of me, it's an all out free-for-all

But suddenly, Doughy screams in pain.

"Ow! Fuck!" he shouts slowly I start to move and I see Coach Stopframe standing right there. The whole town is screaming,

Doughy is on the ground wheezing and breathing heavily.

Coach Stopframe slammed him in the ribs, hard.

Christina, Stephanie and Shapey all help me walk to the pick up.

My nuts are numb and they probably will be for a while, I have never really used the word "nuts" like this before, I haven't said fuck or asshole! I have always heard them, but now that I am using them, I feel somewhat better.

So fuck Doughy and this whole town I don't need these assholes and I never have.

As I think this Coach Stopframe says "I can go get a couple of cans of gas from the station and help you get on your way."

The whole town yells disapprovingly

But I scream at them "Just shut the fuck up!" god that feels good.

And they all started at me. Christina laughed a little bit.

She's wanted to say the same thing, I could just tell.

So now we are somewhere between this town and the next.

A town nothing like Moralton, this town was known as Sinville.5

**VII:**

**Orel and Christina Arrive in Sinville **

I've never done something like this before, this was like something I have once heard about, and that would be rebellion.

I was always someone who would take orders no matter how stupid they were, and I didn't even question. I guess I was everyone's property and I never knew it until now. So now what's the plan? Check into one of the hotels, I thought. But once I drove around Sinville it was completely different than Moralton! People in the streets were happy, it's almost like they were singing their own little song. That's when the truck stopped and I lifted my head up from Christina's lap. She looked at me and smiled "We're here!"

I kissed her and said "I am glad too; I thought we never were going to get here."

Something seemed different about Shapey; he wasn't screaming he was kind of…calm.

Coach Stopframe stepped out of the Passenger Seat, sorry I forgot to tell you, he rode with us to Sinville.

Stephanie stepped out too.

I turned to Christina and said "Shall we?"

And she turned to me and smiled "I can't wait to get into the hotel."

I was kind of confused by this why did she want to go to the hotel?

Well I guess I'll find out later, but I didn't question her. We both stepped out of the pick up. Shapey didn't move.

Coach Stopframe smiled "Well Orel, here we are."

"Yeah…" I stuttered a bit. It was kind of weird here in Sinville.

Coach Stopframe knelt down beside me and put my hand on his shoulder, I saw something in his eyes I've never really seen before.

"Orel, I am not sure I should leave you here."

I kind of agreed with him.

Then I thought _do you really want to go back to Moralton? Where everyone hates you and people Doughy Latchery tries to perform Exorcism's on you every time you walk out the door?_

I shook my head, no way!

I said to Coach Stopframe "I'll be fine Coach don't worry."

"Orel Just call me Daniel." He says

"Well Coach Stopframe Daniel I don't want you to worry."

Daniel says to me "Well, just come back to Moralton if you can't make it here; I'll help you out. You know where to find me. And Orel I know I am not your father, but please be don't be an irresponsible ass when it comes to Christina."

I hesitate "Irresponsible? We love each other. How can I be Irresponsible?"

Daniel looks me right in the eye he seems serious, "Yes I know you two love each other. Do you really think I doubt that? I can see it. But please for the love of god, know that you can love someone very much and still fuck up pretty bad. I just want you to know that. But if things get bad, please come back to Moralton."

I say "Well then I'd have to live at home."

Daniel sighs "No you wont, I can find room for you to live with me. But this is only if things aren't working out. Okay?"

I know I have to agree so I just say "Okay."

He stands up and smiles "Take care Orel."

And he walks to the pick up without another word. Stephanie smiles and says "Good luck, kid" and I smile back

Shapey is refusing to get out of the back of the pick up.

I try to think of something to say to get him to come with us. But I know it's probably best if he doesn't.

And I don't know why,

And off they went.

Christina held my hand "Orel?"

I responded feeling better than I ever have "Yeah?"

She says "Let's get out of here."

And that's what we did.

Checking into a hotel was easy. We stayed at the Sinville Inn. And what happened next is what I still don't believe until this day.

I lay on the bed tired, I was relaxing and I decided to turn on the TV. We don't have one in my house my dad would tell this real bullshit story about how the TV was full of "sin" and a lot of other things "that I shouldn't know about, because it was just evil now Orel Shut the fuck up and leave me alone it's none of your damn business" I just walked away and I believed him that it was "full of sin" now I just don't even care what he says. And the weird thing was no one else in Moralton owned on. Before Doughy turned on me "he told me that his Parent's owned one just so they distract Doughy and they could have "sexy time" as they called it upstairs. This at least what Doughy told me, I felt a bit sorry for him, now I think that he's just another idiot to come out of Moralton.

Anyway Christina came out of the other room and she lay next to me.

We were silent for a few moments,

And then we started making out,

We did this for the next thirty minutes or so. But I am not really sure I lost track of time.

It had gotten more and more intense.

Until we started taking off our clothes, and suddenly we started touching each other.

And then what happened after that…well,

That's none of your damn business.

So when I woke up the next morning, I thought it was all a dream, everything that happened. And I look down at my chest, I was shirtless and then I steeped out of bed, I was naked! And I look over next to me and there Christina was lying on her side. And from what I can see she was naked too. I tried to put everything together. It was like when I pretended to be someone like Sherlock Holmes that one time. I would walk around solving mysteries dressed like a detective with a fake pipe in my mouth that blew bubbles. Someone would ask me a question and I said "Elemental, my dear Doughy…" and well you get the idea. I soon got in trouble. I saw my mom in some other man's apartment doing chores like she would at home. She had a different family too. Reverend Putty told me she's a bigamist. He explained all too perfectly what the word meant. When I went up to the doorstep to talk to her about it she looked at me and was actually pretty pissed about me calling her a bigamist. So when I look around I saw my dad come out of the kitchen. He was also pissed off. This followed with another beating and lecture. So what he told me is that sometimes in a marriage to spice things up couple's role-play. This confused me but then he said that the role-play was to see my mom be miserable in another marriage.

In some way that's considered kinky. I just now learned this word.

And dad smiled and said "Elemental my dear Orel, mind your own business."

But this situation wasn't as fun.

And then it hit me…

I lost my virginity last night!

**VIII:**

**A Quick History of Orel's Misadventures and Clay's Beatings and Lectures**

So there I am pacing around the room, up and down. I was thinking _how could this happen? And why is it so bad? Why am I so worried about this...? _

I look around trying to calm down. And that's when I see a small blue wrapper on the nightstand it read _ultra ribbed condom. _Since the only Sex Ed class at my school Alfred G. Diorama back in Moralton was telling us that sex was "evil" and will "send your soul to the fiery depths of hell" the class was only fifteen minutes long. Once again I believed this bullshit they were telling me and wrote it down in my little notebook, just like I did as a Detective. Once again "Elemental my dear Orel, don't believe everything you hear. Everyone is most likely wrong." So as I tried to remember what a condom was. I knew it was of course used to protect un-wanted pregnancy. I didn't know how people got pregnant for the longest time too. And I would masturbate and since they caught me in the school bathroom I got in trouble. That's when Reverend Putty (and from now on I am going to call him Rod. I don't need to call him Reverend because he isn't my Reverend anymore. So Fuck that! Wow! This feels really good to say.)

Told me the lie about committing something worse than murder, yeah right he probably does it everyday since he can't loose his virginity. (at least I lost mine and I am ashamed of it. I don't quite know why because ever since I was thirteen I have thought about this on a daily basis.) So anyway I would masturbate everyday whenever I could, it felt like my whole world has opened up, and that's actually said. When I was caught, and when the school custodian Flicky caught me he screamed and busted open the stall door. I was almost there, and then when I was bought to Principal Fakey's office he screamed and told Flicky to clean out the stall. Principal Fakey went to his window and put his hands behind his back, he said trying to scare me.

"Orel, do you know what happens to little boys who masturbate?"

I wasn't scared, obviously. So when he said he knew someone who was scientifically trained to explain "the inner-workings" of my body. And I was sent to The Church. That's when Reverend Putty Rod said the whole lie about "worse than murder" he said to waste someone's seed was a sin. I guess that's how I supposedly did something worse than murder. So by now I guess I am a mass-murderer.

Rod told me the seed must procreate, and I really wanted to masturbate and get into heaven so that's what I did, but in I guess what the wrong way to do it was something like this:

I went into my dad's study and asked him how babies were made.

He went to his bookshelf and looked in a book for the answer.

At the time I didn't know it was a book of lies to tell your kids.(No really I am serious they actually publish that bullshit in Moralton. just to keep the lies and secrets going and also to give idiot parents and easy way out from hard questions.) Dad (and you know his real name is Clay.) so Dad Clay looked through the book, Clay asked my age, of course he didn't know he was drunk when I was born I've even seen photos of it. Mom showed them to me when she was pissed off she scowled at me and said "Here! Look at this, see how much your father cares about us!" in the photo mom had a naked baby (me) with the umbilical cord attached between her legs and dad stood drunk hitting on the nurse. Stupid son of a bitch, Anyway he came back and looked at me straight in the eye with a phony smile and said

"Ahh. You are old enough to know the truth (I was twelve.)

And he said some crap about God's Chef sneaking into women's houses late at night "and filling women full of his delicious glaze" from his pastry bag while they slept. I believed it and later I borrowed my mom's pastry bag to make my "delicious glaze"

And she asked "will you make mommy any?" I stuttered "Jeez mom you've got to be kidding". So there I went from house to house every night. Grabbing my ladder and sneaking in through windows Filling the pastry bags full of my seed and putting it inside all of Moralton's Women with my pastry bag. Every time I was "done" I would whisper hiding under the blanket "Lord be praised!"

Soon nearly every woman in town was pregnant and I was the father.

Which I'll never see any of my kids grow up,

One day I hope for kids, I just hope Christina isn't knocked up at this point…I am so fucking stupid I just want to do it the right way.

I never thought of this while I did what I did, but that was the past

This somehow now is haunting me, almost like a ghost,

It follows me around almost everyday since I turned thirteen.

I try to make it go away but I just can't, part of the reason I am a Christian Goth. All of these things I have done, haunt me and I can't

Get them to go away, like for example I was once addicted to crack.

I was so fucking stupid. Rod once told me to "help the poor, if you know what's good for you." So I gave money to man in an alley,

He looked poor, but he was selling crack. I didn't know this,

So I bought it he told me it would help him if I take the crack and a pipe he threw in for free. If I took this crack I would keep coming back to buy more. And he was right. So one day after I went crazy and beat up Mr. Figgurelli in a crack induced haze and after I quit my job

Because what he was paying just wasn't enough to pay for my addiction, and I went to the pharmacy where Dr. Potterswheel works. They're paying ten dollars a pint for blood so I walked in and took the money. But before I did that Dr. Potterswheel couldn't find a vein on my arm. I injected some crack too. So I screamed "Gimmie that!" and drew my own blood. He said surprised "oh well let me give you a Band-Aid" and I shouted "Got my own!" and I pulled a bandage out of my pocket, all he could say was that he liked my new attitude and my dad would be proud. He didn't know that I was high. I demanded for the money, he looked at me suspiciously. But I got what I wanted didn't I? the next thing I know I am in the same old ally buying crack and I started groan "Oh blessed be the lord!" and then I was interrupted by none other than Papermouth, Potterswheel and of course Clay. When I was home in his study pulling my pants back up from the beating he told me that "Drugs are a gateway…to slang."

And I was wondering why slang would even matter what about my health or my brain or something like that my brain is probably ten times smaller now from those entire rocks of crack that I smoked everyday! And that's when he pointed to the framed lost commandment on the wall "Thou shalt not bastardize the American language" now I believe that that is a load of horse shit! But of course good ol' Clay said that we are remembered for our words, not our actions or choices just words, yeah right. What a joke! Because good ol' Clay will be remembered as just another drunken asshole. I will be nothing like him I absolutely refuse to be. But as God's Chef I was caught when the women woke up and saw my smile as I was just getting started. There was a scream, and the cops were called. And Clay once again drove me home to his study, and once I was there

He beat me really, really hard this time. Once he was done this time I couldn't sit down for a week. For a while I used to enjoy my pain, I became a masochist. Rod would tell me to cancel out all pleasures; I thought this meant helping people. I had a "fantasy" while I was in bed one night I woke up. My pajamas were wet. I told Rod and he said that this was "bad" and he told me to cancel out my pleasures with pain. Soon I was walking around with broken glass in my shoe, stepping down extra hard. A man walked up to me on the streets who looked just like me he had bloody gashes and bandages across his head. And told me he understood. Soon I was going to this small place in Moralton where people were dressed in black corsets throwing rocks at each other that's when he told me about a "safe word" and how to measure out pleasure with pain. And soon I found myself being spanked by some husky looking women. She was wearing a corset and started beating me with a whip. I had another dream that night that god was telling me I had been a "bad boy" and he started spanking my bare ass. I woke up told Clay. He pulled out his belt but I smiled, I was going to enjoy this. Later he lectured me that enjoying pain was dangerous because than his job of beating me would have no purpose. But I bet that Clay has himself a fucking party when I am not around. I bet he's a masochist in fact I think I have seen this once. But this is going to lead me into another memory…well again that is none of your damn business. But when I was God's Chef another lecture followed. He said sex should be bland and boring and that was my real sin according to him. That brings me to another lost commandment "Thou shall only have sex face to face man on top." And this is when I heard this lie, the list of lectures is endless. I could name so many things I have done wrong. It kills me to tell you these things buried deep inside of me. But then again I have to make this little confession of mine worthwhile. Even if it does kill me, but then Christina wakes up, her naked body shows through the sheets "Good morning." She smiles at me.

And I just smile and say "Good Morning my love."

We'll go from there I guess.

**VIX:**

**Orel comes to a Realization **

Christina is smiling naked under the bed sheets. I look at her and I try to make sense of what the hell I did! But as you can imagine I am a bit distracted. There's a moment of silence, and I ask her "So where did I get the condom from?" Christina giggles a bit and says "Oh you got those from the dispenser thingy downstairs in the lobby. And then you came back up here and well, you know…"

I stammered "I think I blacked out." Christina giggles again and says to me "Nope, we went at it for most of the night. You must have gotten tired. Then you fell asleep. You were really tired." And I thought _yeah, no duh! _But I gave a half smile and stuttered "Was I any… good?"

Christina then gives me a look that says _Yeah, Orel what do you think? _

But she answered anyway with a little squeal "Yep, so what are we going to do with our first day in Sinville?"

I haven't really thought about that.

And I shrug "I don't know…"

Christina gets out of bed, and I haven't remembered how good she looked from the night before. "Well" she said "We'll find something."

And slowly but surly she put on her clothes. All I could do was stand there and stare while she dressed, I couldn't believe it! I had lost my virginity. I tried to think about everything I have learned about this situation. I just thought of Moralton, and all the lies everyone had told me. I felt this door in my mind close. and to tell you the truth, I started to feel something else, maybe joy but I haven't thought of joy or happiness really at all since he died. The feeling scared me for a second. And then I felt it again this time like a hurricane inside of me, probably the best feeling I have ever had. The way Christina makes me feel, felt so good. Just looking at her face, hearing her voice, being around her, that's why I fell in love with her. While the town tries to perform an exorcism on me because I was Gothic and she loved me anyway. And as for loosing my virginity; well I just didn't care anymore.

And as I was putting my eyeliner and mascara on this morning, I looked in the mirror, and smiled, for the love of god for once I smiled in the longest time.

**X:**

**Meanwhile Back in Moralton**

_I didn't know this at first, back in Moralton the streets were filled with angry mobs complaining to the mayor of the town I know all to well (which is Clay Puppington.) And Good ol' Clay was up to his neck in complaints and paperwork. Doughy was the leader of one of these mobs, they wanted me back in Moralton. To perform yet another exorcism and the mobs wanted to take down Stephanie and Coach Stop frame for letting me escape the town. It was an all-out shitstorm! _

_And Clay gave in, and singed every complaint. And now, there was a warrant out, not for arrest but to bring me back to Moralton, to get whatever demon I had inside of me out. _

While I happily enjoyed my first day in Sinville this was going on and the word went around the neighboring towns.

I was a wanted man.

**XI:**

**Orel Recalls an Incident at School in his 8****th**** grade year that sends him to the psychiatrist. **

I know this isn't really part of the story, but I thought I should mention it. But I have sat in a leather chair for an hour and thirty minutes telling someone all of my problems. It was probably the worst thing I have ever done! Shrinks listen to you no matter what! And that is the problem. They are very judgmental. They're paid to do this you know, they get paid money to listen to you and then prescribe you medication when they have no idea what's going on! He said to me "Tell me about your family Orel." and I went off for about fifteen minutes telling him about my dad being a drunk and beating me all of the time and how my mom won't even talk to me without insulting me, how my brother would always scream all of the time. He looked at me weird, and after a while he stopped writing things down. He looked at me and asked "I can't help but notice you look a bit Gothic. Why is this?" and I told him "I am a Christian Goth" he asked why and I told him it's all because of my family and my Grandfather. I told him about Grandpa and he looked a little sad at this point. And then he started writing again and he said with a smile "Let me give this to your parents." It was a prescription for something called Lithium. And I hated this damn pill! As soon as he gave the prescription to my mom she bitched at me the whole car ride to the Pharmacy. Saying "goddamn it Orel! You just can't keep your mouth shut. Now you're father and I have to go to couples therapy as well as parent's training! and I have to pay for this fucking pill!"

I asked her the obvious question "Are you even going to therapy and parent's training?"

She laughed bitterly "No, what the hell do you think!"

Very obvious answer, and let me tell you Lithium is horrible. It made me thirsty all of the time, and it left my mouth dry. I was always hungry and I got really bad heartburn and stomach aches! I woke up in the middle of the night to raid the fridge just fill this constant empty stomach.

My mood was up and down too. I was one minute depressed and the next minute I was freaking out! I had panic attacks and one was so bad I was almost expelled from school! I started throwing stuff across the classroom, chairs and random objects! The whole class was evacuated I even hit Mrs. Sculptham in the head with a big thick bound book. Daniel came in trying to calm me down, it did no good. He tried to talk to me asking what was wrong. The classroom was a mess of scattered chairs and desks I picked up a desk and threw it at him. It almost him in the face. It's amazing he still likes me! And I soon found myself teary-eyed my eyeliner and mascara was smeared and running down my face. As Daniel had to hold me down on the linoleum floor, He held me for nearly an hour. I tried to fight him. Every step of the way, and when good ol' Clay showed up I was in his car headed for home. He wouldn't look at me or talk to me at all. And when we got home he took me straight into his study. And he screamed wordlessly and bent me against the wall and pulled my pants down and beat my bare ass with a whip for ten minutes straight. I was thinking of Christmas with Daniel as the fireplace lit the room brightly and shone off all of the collected liquor bottIes. As Cay beat me mercilessly and I was so numb I could feel nothing in the lower half of my body for a month! For one damn month! When it was all over clay went to his gun rack and pulled out a revolver and he muttered "Get on your knees Orel." I did that and he said "Pray" and asked hoarsely "What?" And he barked at me "PRAY GODDAMN IT! PRAY TO GOD!" he pointed the gun at me and he circled the room with a revolver in his hand! I thought he was going to kill me and I prayed a prayer of forgiveness. Clay smiled sickly and said "You better not fuck with me Orel! I've had it up to here with your bullshit! I bought you into this world and I can take you out just as easily!" I was praying to god with my eyes sealed shut _please forgive all of my sins please forgive everything I have done, let me follow along your path and your path only… _the prayer was interrupted and dad screamed "BANG! YOU'RE DEAD!" He laughed cruelly. I got to my feet and ran outside. That's when I threw up.

So how did I get to the shrinks office in the first place, well one day in class before the "incident" Mrs. Sculptham gave us a writing prompt. And the writing prompt went something like this…

_Imagine yourself ten years down the line. Where would you like to be?_

My paper went something like this….

The Suicide Family

By Orel Puppington

In ten years I want to be dead with my grandfather.

I don't want to live anymore. I have nothing

But misery and heartache. I sometimes wish someone could

Put a bullet through my head. Just so I can be with my Grandfather. That's all I want. I just want to die. That is all in ten years I won't exist, and that is for the best.

_This is all what happened from "The Suicide Family": _

_1. Mrs. Sculptham called the school therapist._

_2. Copies from my paper were made for my parents and all of the teachers._

_3. I was questioned by Principal Fakey, the school counselors, the therapist asking things like "Do you wish to die Orel?" or "How often do you think about death?" _

_4. I had to take a mental health exam._

_5. I had to see the town Psychiatrist_

_6. I was put on 200 milligrams of Lithium._

_7. I was mentioned in the editorials in The Moralton Gazette, with the articles reading in big boldfaced letters saying "Local Thirteen Year old get's into hot water with his writing prompt 'The Suicide Family'" And reporters even tried to talk with me asking me "What was going through your mind when you wrote "The Suicide Family"? I had no choice I wanted to refuse the interview but of course mom stepped in and made me answer the reporter's just for the attention of the media. _

_8. Since the paper was such a big deal the real depressed kids in my school (this was before I turned Christian Goth) who always would come up to me in the lunchroom and try to read me their poetry. It was all about death and destruction. They tried to offer me cigarettes in between classes. They also tried to invite me to their houses after school and sit in their room and write poetry and talk about how horrible our lives were as they smoked pot. I said no every time. But they still would not leave me alone. They would stalk me until I was a freshman. I interested the wrong kind of crowd apparently._

_9. the Physiatrists, therapists Principal Fakey and Rod had to hold a mandatory assembly about teen suicide. (Once again reminding us that suicide is illegal in Moralton and that it will send us straight to hell, because god hates people who commit suicide apparently.) _

In a small town one little piece of paper is blown up into this whole

Disaster, the lord's greatest gift is life. But I don't know any more.

I don't know what to think.

I just don't know.

And as I looked in the mirror this morning with my smile,

I felt a little bit better, in the worst way.

**XII:**

**Orel and Christina Walking hand in hand around Sinville. **

Here is how my first day in Sinville went: Christina and I walked hand in hand around Sinville. This is the weird thing about Sinville: everything is weird about this town! So not only in the streets were people enjoying themselves dancing almost. And I was here once before when I was twelve, Doughy and I walked up to some guy dancing on the sidewalk and we asked what's so sinful about this guy? And he said gladly that he was a Catholic. This scared the shit out of the both of us! We went running away, it wouldn't scare me now. But if Doughy were here he'd probably douse us all with holy water screaming "REPENT! REPENT SINNER!" but I am glad he's not here. So now when I am here I enjoy this place very much so. And we looked around all day long, browsing through shops and the street's everything Sinville had to offer. And when we went back to the hotel we fell asleep on the bed in each other's arms. In Sinville they have Cable TV. And we were watching some game show as they call it. And I've never seen one before. We just laid there watching this smiling old man with grey hair and these beautiful women in bright sparkling dresses walk around a colored set naming showcase items. While the contestants had to guess the prices, and there was someone saying "…COME ON DOWN YOU'RE THE NEXT CONTESTANT ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT!" It was the most interesting thing I have ever seen. And then a voice would come out of the background like a narrator saying "…YOU COULD WIN THIS FABULOUS NEW SPORTS CAR!" It was like the one Daniel drives. Only it was newer and nicer, much nicer. So after that I kind of zoned out, I was lead into a dreamless sleep.

**XIII:**

**Morning Sunlight**

When I woke up the sun was shining brightly upon the room. I looked straight and it never seemed so beautiful and so cheerful. I just wanted to add this part into the confessional because I just haven't seen it this way since the day when I got the camera driving home in dad's station wagon I noticed the sun and it gave a new meaning to my life. Just like it did when I was young and naïve. It is clear to me now that I must do this every morning. Just look at the sunlight god gave me. Christina was fast asleep in her clothes, she hadn't seen it yet. I wanted to wake her up. But I decided I better not for some strange reason.

I see the sun now for what it for what it really is.

**XIV:**

**Rules and Room Service Orel and Christina Relax at the Sinville Inn**

After I get out of the bathroom I have taken a long hot shower, put on my eyeliner and mascara and dressed in my usual black clothes for the day I put on my chains and went to the main area of the hotel. Christina is now awake. She ordered room service and in front of her is a plate of blueberry pancakes and French toast with orange juice. It seems she hasn't forgotten about me because there is another plate of food not opened on the nightstand. I smile and she says "Good Morning Orel." I smile back "Good Morning Christina." She takes a bite of her pancake and a gulp of her orange juice. "Room service is the best isn't it?"

And I sit down on the bed next to her and take a bite of my meal which was the same as Christina's only there was a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Church. She knows I love that kind of cereal. The kind that was served in my house before mom stopped buying it for what reason I don't know. I remember sitting at the table waiting to eat a bowl this is when I was eleven or twelve and I would always gobble it down. Good Ol' Clay thought it was a sin to waste food. So even when something tasted horrible I had to eat it anyway or else I'll make god angry at me and of course I would go to hell. There were rules like this around the house. Hanging in the bathroom by the toilet was a sign saying "Thou Shall not Masturbate" I think this was put up by my mom to discourage Clay from doing so. I think it was there for me too actually, I only started seeing this sign hung up when I turned eleven. Just like my mom (and her name is Blobberta) so mom Blobberta told me that "foul scents attract Satan." So every time I took a dump I had to spray Lysol everywhere. What a pain in the ass! So after a while I stopped doing it and she would hound me about it but after a while she gave up. And Good Ol' Clay had to spray the bathroom down. Hmm… I guess that was kind of funny. So now as I eat this bowl of Cereal, Christina and I plan to stay in the hotel for a while and relax before we do anything to day. Relaxing is not something I have done much of back in Moralton.

**XV:**

**The Hunt for Orel Puppington**

_I didn't know that at this point back in Moralton the shit has hit the fan. Moralton is searching for me in every town and every state near Moralton. It was crazy and Clay was sending the state police after me. And very soon things were only going to get worse. As I sat in the hotel watching game shows while Doughy pushed his way into Sinville. Him and several angry mobs, they tried to tell them that they didn't know where I was. And that did no good when a few Citizens say they saw us roaming around. Good Ol' Clay had found his way into Sinville as well searching for hotel records and financial records. And he dug deeper and deeper and found a record of money spent at the local drug stores and gas stations where I bought packs of condoms and food and drinks such as sodas and a few candy bars. He knew it was me because on the financial record he found that I bought a large amount of mascara and eyeliner he put two and two together, the condoms plus the make up all in one purchase. Then he found the records of The Sinville Inn. And where saw my name and Christina's on the record. I was in the papers and in the national headlines they read "search for runaway teenagers is in full pursuit." I was wanted! And back in Moralton Daniel and Stephanie were refugees and they hid out at any place they could find to spend the night. They were wanted as well, and the worst was not over._

**XVI:**

"**It's none of your damn business" **

Well I can't think of much to say here, but at this point I was oblivious to anything that was going on. Christina and I lay in bed since this morning. And we've been doing it for the past couple of hours. And nothing much is happening here that I knew of. Besides the fact that well…once again this is none of your damn business because I don't even wanna tell you some of the stuff we were doing! You can only imagine.

And actually please do not imagine it. That will only ruin the story while you go to the bathroom or wherever and you'll probably start jacking off for the next twenty minutes or so. Just read the book.

So, yeah don't wanna go there…

It's my fault for even mentioning it.

Just forget about it.

REALLY, JUST FORGET ABOUT IT!

**XVII:**

**Household Contraband**

I should use this part of the confessional to tell you that I was never the kind of person who would listen to music regularly. Maybe I'd play vinyl records once in a while that were religious, and sometimes I would listen to Christian Death-Metal. The lyrics went something like "BURN IN HEAVEN!" I loved it, and Good Ol' Clay would bitch and moan "damn teenagers and their devil rock!" This was ironic seeing as how Clay doesn't even believe in god or that Jesus is our savior he just has to have something to tell me when I get in trouble as he would tell me that god hates this and god hates that and blah, blah, blah. Maybe it's to keep me paranoid I don't know. And so when I was gothic I found out about the art of making mix tapes from Stephanie. They still couldn't tell the world how I felt. But I made them anyway because somehow it would tell a little bit about me. Like the suffering and the pain I was in ever since my grandfather died. So I made at least fifty of these tapes. I became interested in punk rock. Stephanie introduced this to me in the early stages of me being a Goth. And I loved it, I felt like these people did who would scream and play their interments loud and fast. I felt anger and bitterness and I wanted to scream at everyone everyday of my life from that point on. She then told me about emo. I fell in love with it right away! These musicians were telling their true feelings they didn't care how ridiculous it sounded as it did to most people. But to me I could understand everything they were saying! I felt the same way, the same exact way! And soon I found myself in Buried Pleasures all day after school listening to all of these bands that Stephanie had found while she stocks the dildos and vibrators high on the shelves. This is a sex shop after all. And soon I was borrowing her Tapes and CD's making mix tape after mix tape. It didn't ease the pain though to know that other people suffered like I did, maybe a bit but not much. And Blobberta would love to raid my room in search of "household contraband" I had mix tape upon mix tape hidden in my dresser drawers and Blobberta found them as she would snoop around my room and put everything back the way it was so I wouldn't get suspicious. But when she found these tapes she read the titles apparently I had handwritten titles on the plastic cases such as:

**THE SLOW AND PAINFULL DEATH OF OREL PUPPINGTON-EMO/PUNK ROCK**

**BURN IN HEAVEN-CHRISTAIN DEATH METAL/EMO (MIX)**

**RANDOM SONGS **

**MORE RANDOM SONGS**

**A TAPE MADE BY STEPHANIE FOR OREL :)**** (This one is my favorite!)**

**THE SUICIDE FAMILY TAPE**

**A TAPE ABOUT MORALTON PT.1 **

**A TAPE ABOUT MORALTON PT. 2**

And then she found something interesting…

**Christina my feelings are pure and true (a mix tape about Christina)**

I was home from school and I walked in my bedroom door, and there Blobberta stood holding the mix tape in her hands she scowled at me.

"What was this for?"

And I think oh shit!

And I say "I don't know! I swear I have no idea!"

And Blobberta glares at me and says "don't lie to me; I know who this tape is for! It's for that girl Christina isn't it!"

I admit "Yes, just put it down alright!"

Blobberta gives me a twisted smile, and she stomps the tape into bits! I scream "no what are you doing do you know how long it takes to make those things?!"

Blobberta smiles at me and says "Oh well! It's gone now!"

There's a pause and she says laughing cruelly "Dinner is in an hour Orel. It's your favorite Mac and cheese!" and she walks out the door, and she slams it behind her. all I can do is stand over the broken bits of my mix tape. One that

Christina will never get.

And I just sit on the ground.

Dinner was in an hour

But I suddenly didn't feel like eating.

**XVIII:**

**Waking Up (breaking news) **

After Christina and I had sex we fell asleep. I woke up three hours later to the sounds of sirens. It was enough to give me a headache I had a bad feeling about it. And I threw on some clothes and turned on the TV to watch more game shows. But instead there was some breaking news. I looked over at Christina who was fast asleep I looked at her naked body and thought about waking her up but that's when I heard my name. I turned to the TV and the anchorman spoke this was Sinville News and he said that

_fourteen year old_ _Orel Puppington a wanted fugitive is on the run from Moralton Police he is believed to be staying at the Sinville inn with his girlfriend who's name has not been released by her parents or police, _

_Orel is supposedly a very dangerous and disturbed individual according to his father Clay Puppington and his former friend Doughy Latchery whom he violently assaulted earlier last week before fleeing Moralton. He's also said to have this girl as a hostage and has known to have been raping her according to his mother Blobberta Puppington. Orel is somehow possessed by demonic forces and has a warrant to return to Moralton to have an exorcism preformed._

This got me up and at em' and I woke Christina up she groggily turned to me and said "What is it Orel?" and I said as calmly as I could "We have to get out of here the cops are after us!"

And she stumbled awake "What?" she asked

And I said "The cops are after us! You have to get dressed and we have to run and hide!"

Christina looked more awake now and she started to hear the sirens and the breaking news repeat itself. She got dressed and we had make it out of the hotel without being caught.

**XVIV:**

**Escaping the Hotel**

We kept our heads down as we ran through the hotel lobby sticking mainly to the walls. Cops rushed in and we nearly escaped them when the elevator doors opened and we hid behind the doors until they passed with just a few people stepping out of the elevator. And then as the doors closed I pressed the button and we ran to the main door and saw cop cars out front and angry mobs yelling and screaming. I saw Doughy, Blobberta, Clay, and Rod, they looked pissed off. Doughy is holding a megaphone and screaming "Orel come out now and face me!" he still had a fat lip and had a little bit of a lisp this made me laugh a little bit. Christina says to me "What Now?" I see a back exit "We have to make a run for that door" I pointed to it, and we ran for the door and made it out barley.

So now we were running trough the back ally into the main streets.

We didn't know where to go or what to do.

**XX:**

**Orel recalls "The Best Christmas Ever!" **

Now that we are at this point in the confessional I wanted to take a minute or two to tell all of you another deep dark secret, so here it goes:

At one of my physiatrist appointments as I sat on the couch and told all of my problems, I died a little bit. It was a flashback to my previous near death experiences I never told you what I saw of Heaven. Remember early on when I said it was nothing like you ever would expect? Well here's what I saw, I saw my whole life just flash before my eyes. It sounds clichéd I know but that's exactly what it was. I saw my days in church I saw everyone standing in the pews everyone in town including Clay. Their pants flew up and down. Holding their belts in their hands, this was a memory I had from one of my many beatings. And I saw my life sped up and going backwards. It was the most beautiful thing you could ever see. I think it was heaven. Or at least it was the closest I ever came to heaven, the revelation that God is inside all of us either could scare me senseless or could soothe me, I'm leaning now more towards the soothing feeling in place of the sick, sinking one, and then sadly enough I was pulled back into this so-called life. On Christmas one year Blobberta and Clay split up, and I prayed they would get back together. All I wanted was the best Christmas ever! I didn't know how impossible this was. They did obviously but they still hated each other and now I wish for much different. Our family collapsed after a while. And there I was on Christmas day ten or eleven maybe and I stood outside the bar in the falling snow it was almost midnight, and I saw Daniel and Clay sitting together at the bar sharing a drink, as Daniel tried to comfort him. He said some things that I couldn't quite make out. Daniel reached for Clay's ass and almost squeezed it. I couldn't see that they were having a gay relationship strangely enough. And I prayed outside the bar to god _I know this hasn't been the best Christmas ever…but I believe in you. _And help never came. I stood out in the snow with my faith in God's hands. And on that snowy beautiful Christmas I waited for God to come. And he still hasn't come. Maybe he has but I haven't seen it.

I want to believe it, but I just don't know. I just have no idea.

And sitting on Daniels couch I wait for Doughy to bust down the door and do what he will with me. And I think of Christina, and what I have done wrong.

I just pray for some sort of miracle, to save my life.

Like the one on Christmas that never came.

Like the hours spent at the Church repressing everything and praying to god. I hope something good came of it.

And as I die on the shrink's leather couch, I come back to life half way through the session, he hands me another prescription for something called Abilify, for 110 milligrams, great! that's just what I needed.

**XXI:**

**A Quick Game of Jeopardy**

Well we ran and, and we ran, and we ran away from the mob. We were almost to safety. Christina and I thought about hitching a ride. But once we discussed this, guess who showed up in front of us? Well let's play a quick round of Jeopardy shall we?

**Oh Okay! **

The category's are:

Emotionally Immature Psychopathic Gun Nuts,

Sexually aggravated Reverend's without a clue,

Insane Ex-Best Friends who hold irrational grudges,

And

Emotionally deprived women of a 1950's style household who play way too much with vibrators during their free time.

(Circle which category you want to start with.)

Well if you chose any of these you are wrong! It was a trick question! Because

Standing in front of us was:

Emotionally Immature Psychopathic Gun Nuts- Clay

Sexually aggravated Reverend's without a clue-Rod

Insane Ex-Best Friends who hold irrational grudges- Doughy

And

Emotionally deprived women of a 1950's style household who play way too much with vibrators during their free time.-Blobberta6

Good night everyone! And remember to always spay and neuter your pets!

(Opps, wrong game show)

So thanks for playing Jeopardy! Now let's get back to the story!

**XXII:**

**Orel and Christina face a Close Call **

The terrible foursome stood in front of us! They all were pissed off and this is where Christina and I took one big gulp. That was it we were screwed! We didn't know what we were going to do and Rod spoke with a scowl on his face "So Orel, you think you have it all figured out don't you?"

I scoff and say "More than you do obviously"

Christina laughs a bit at that comment.

And Good Ol' Clay toting his shotgun says "Orel, if you have any brains in your head you will shut up and get in the car right now!" he points to the station wagon.

I say "Over my dead body."

Clay yells "That can be arranged if you want Orel. or you can march your smart ass into the car!"

Doughy pulls out a bit of rope from a burlap sack; this was it we we're both screwed!

Doughy gives a demented smile and heads towards Christina. If he hurt her I was going to kill him!

He smiled at Christina while Blobberta grinned "There is no way out of this one is there Orel, you are coming back for the exorcism weather you like it or not!"

Christina screams behind me "OREL, GET HIM OFF OF ME!"

Doughy holds Christina down to the cement and the mobs come our way. They chant and murmur I can't quite make it out what they are saying. All I know is that Doughy's going to have a broken rib cage by the end of this. Christina continues to scream and as Clay, Rod and Blobberta come after me I pick up a broken piece of cement and smash it over his head!

KLUNK!

Doughy falls to the ground his skull is cracked in two, blood gushes and he starts to cry out in pain. I grab Christina and Blobberta Rod and Clay all stand shocked and Rod screams "Jesus Orel! What did you do?" he stands over Doughy.

Clay stares in amazement and fear.

Blobberta is at a loss for words.

But me and Christina run away and the mobs make it to Doughy they stand terrified, as fragments of Doughy's skull litter the ground.

And all Christina and I can do is run for the next hour or so.

**XXIII:**

**One Hour Later**

At this point we can't run any longer are knees our week and I am sweating like a dog. We breathe heavily almost hyperventilating. And Christina get's sick and throws up on the grass. And we both lay down in the shadiest place we can find. At this point there's no saying where we were at. But it's somewhere out in the country. Later I looked around and all I saw was small farms and pastures. And I came back to the shady place under the tree and I look at Christina who was passed out. I was starving; I haven't had anything to eat since last night. We ordered room service and I had a cheeseburger and fries. I thought about that and I was getting sick with an empty stomach. I tried to think about something else but I couldn't so I lay next to Christina under the tree. The stars shone that night brighter than ever. And I waited for the worst to come. I wondered if Doughy was dead. The guilt would eat at me forever everyday and I started to cry. These tears were useless. Back in Moralton Doughy was safe and sound in a hospital bed.

**XXIV:**

**Christina Wakes Up**

It was high-noon the next day when Christina woke up. I sat there waiting for her. The night was cold as hell I had to ball up and cross my arms. I was shivering all night long. And now I was awake and Christina had a worn out look on her face as anyone would have.

She says to me "How long was I asleep."

I make a guesstimate for an answer "Since yesterday afternoon."

And she starts crying "Oh, Orel what did we do?"

And I put my arm on her shoulder trying to comfort her "Christina, things can't get any worse I promise you!" what a lie!

She calls my bluff "What the hell are you talking about Orel! Yes it can! We're out in the middle of nowhere! And I am hungry alright I feel sick! We have mobs hunting us down! Of course it can get much worse!"

_Damn it! _I think and I don't know what to say to that.

"Why did we run away Orel? How stupid can we be?"

I say with tears building in my eyes "You wanted to run away! It was your idea, remember? It's so we could be happy!"

And Christina is now pissed "Happy! You call this happy? I had to sleep in my own puke last night! We are trapped like rats! We are so fucked! You think we're happy, God why don't you just grow up Orel? Face the facts we're fucked!"

I stammered trying to remain pleasant "It was your idea to run away, not mine!"

Christina stood up walked further into the fields and gave me the finger. "Oh fuck you Orel! It wasn't my idea to beat the shit out of Doughy and piss off the whole town! You started something that you have no idea how to finish! You wanted to be bad, well you got your wish Orel!"

I rushed after Christina into the sunlight.

Forget pleasant now I am pissed off!

"Oh, real mature Christina! Real mature! You wanted to have a life together! Remember!"

Christina screamed at the top of her lungs "Fuck you! You think your life was bad with your Goth, Emo whatever bullshit? Well now you're completely alone! Have fun hitching a ride back to Moralton."

I still followed her "What are you saying?"

She said angrily "I am leaving you Orel! Have fun being alone!"

And I was left in the fields crying, I fell to my knees.

I tasted my salty tears,

And that was the last time I ever seen Christina.

And I hitched a ride back.

Alone and left in my thoughts. When the driver said "Where to?" I spoke "Moralton". The driver looked at me as if he knew who I was and he drove off. One hundred and fifty odd miles back.

Now as I write this,

Doughy has almost busted through the door the wood is breaking down. I tried to call Daniel but it was no use.

And I am very alone, just like Christina said.

**XXV:**

**Orel's Downward Spiral**

When I got back to Moralton I walked through the almost empty streets. I could have sworn there must have been tumbleweeds and chirping crickets it was so damn lonely. There was a pain inside of me; I could feel all to well. And I thought of Christina as I have for the past few days. Suddenly an unshaven figure wearing a dirty track suit approached me. He had a huge yellow beard but I noticed the voice "Orel what happened?" It was Daniel. I almost wanted to give him a big bear hug I was so excited to see him. I asked "Why do you have a beard?"

He told me it was a long story.

And we headed off for his apartment. He told me that the beard was so people had trouble noticing him he was a refugee. But he went back to work at Alfred G. Diorama anyway over the course of the next week after everything died down (sort of). And as promised I stayed at his apartment sleeping on the couch in the living room.

Daniel tried to warn me not to be an Irresponsible ass. But I screwed up badly anyways. I lived off of ramen noodles and soda for the next week. And Daniel got a bit concerned when I stopped talking and stayed inside moping all day long. I no longer wore eyeliner or mascara and I was now dressing in a white button up and khaki's just like before. During the day I started writing in a notebook. I wrote Poems about Christina, in fact all I ever thought about was Christina. Daniel tried to intervene and tell me "Orel, I think you should start dating other girls." And I snapped, long story short I told him it was none of his damn business and to fuck off. He took this rather well actually and apologized, just as I did at a later time.

At least Daniel understood.

No one else did.

I had a job working in Buried Pleasures being a stock boy and Cleaning the shop at closing time. Stephanie seemed worried about me because I didn't barley talk and I'd spend my break time talking to myself pretending Christina was around. Stephanie asked me who I was talking to. I told her it was Christina.

She tried to give me dating advice just like Daniel did and I shut down completely. I wasn't responding to a word she said. Stephanie gave me a few mental health days, when she found lines of bloody gashes on my arm when I rolled up my sleeves to do a job I don't remember doing this to myself. I was losing my grip as bad at best or even worse than I am right now.

Stephanie was getting really freaked out. She's trying to get me back to the old Orel she came to love. But the old Orel is nowhere in sight.

**XXVI:**

**Meanwhile at City Hall**

_Good ol' Clay is back at his desk once again swamped with paperwork the town of Moralton is returning back to normal the same old same old status qoue however there is still a warrant out for my exorcism. Most people are still on edge now that I am back in town but they don't know what to do. Doughy now has thick bandages around his head. Wrapped in layers and layers gauze, and he still wants to bring me to "justice" so now it has been settled Good Ol' Clay marked me down for death. And as I stepped outside today to go to work I have been followed all the way there and all the way back._

_I am wanted dead in Moralton at this point. And I am at almost the end of my story so hold on just a bit longer…_

**XXVII:**

**Orel's Fifteenth Birthday (another normal day at work)**

I clocked in and got to work stocking shelves with assorted sex toys and lubricants as well as porno videos and magazines. I looked at the covers of the magazines flipping through them. I saw fully nude women doing anything for the cameras and the money. I was lost deep in thought. A thought passed my mind about Christina. I put the magazine down, went out back and threw up. I just couldn't think about it. Today is my birthday and Christina and I had plans. We've been planning them for the longest time. We were going out to dinner maybe see a movie something like that. All I talk or think about is Christina I need her back so badly.

Stephanie made me a small chocolate cake and said happy birthday. I blew out the candles.

I shared the cake with her and I ate it trying to smile. But I just couldn't and I only ate one piece, and then I went out back and threw up again.

Before I left Stephanie told me: "Orel, I am sorry about you and Christina. If I could I would do something. But I am not sure what I can do. (Pause) Orel you're a great kid I like you a lot, and you will make some women very happy someday. I guarantee it."

And I say "I hope so Stephanie, thanks for the cake. I'll see you tomorrow."

There's a hint of sadness in her eyes but she smiles and waves and I exit the shop.

At the end of my shift it was raining a big fat downpour. It was a miserable day and now it was raining buckets (Talk about a cliché)

And I walked home.

**XXVIII:**

**The Attempted Killing of Orel Puppington**

_And while I was walking in the shadows there were discreet assassin's Doughy led them to me. Sniper's hid in random buildings trying to get a target on me. The sniper must have slipped and missed me because I heard a bullet hit the sidewalk and the puddles on the ground. I knew something was wrong. So I ran and ran and ran to Daniels Apartment. There was a wild firing of bullets as I ducked behind trash cans and newspaper stands. The rains fell on the lonesome blue streets. I ran as fast as I could the moonlight was shining over me and I thought am I really going to die like this. I thought of the day Clay threatened me with a revolver and the night he shot me in the leg._

_And miraculously I was not hit or killed when I made it to Daniels apartment in Downtown Moralton. Doughy followed me here. And I started hearing banging on the door._

_So here I am now trying to finish this confessional before I die. _

_Happy Birthday Orel, make a wish._

**XXIX:**

**The End**

Well as of right now at this precise moment in time,

Doughy has almost broken in and I see he's wielding a machete.

The whole town is gathered outside the window cheering for my death "Yeah! Fuck him up Doughy!"

And their deranged assistants are lined up in the streets outside cheering them on as the snipers most likely have a target on my head.

In a few minutes this apartment will be full of blood and carnage. I know now that if I never see the sun rise again I know the last time I have it was god's gift to me. Just to see the sun roll across the sky one final time.

And I am grateful for that.

And I am grateful for all of the people I have met in my life good or bad.

And I am grateful I went on that hunting trip with Clay because it only made me see I could have been so much better than him, and I was.

So if this really is the end and I am going to get on my knees and give the lord one final prayer for forgiveness and strength.

And I guess we'll go from there.

And Christina if you read this know that I am sorry, truly, genuinely 110 % sorry and I will always love you, always and forever

I look out through the window just one last time and I can see the skies pitch black and the rain crashing down harder and harder against this dirty city, I want to break down and cry but I know my tears won't do any good any more I'm already half way gone there's not one thing that I can say or do to change the outcome of this whole big fucking fifteen yearlong mess not one single thing.

As the wood splinters and the screams and roars of the crowd, not inclined to rest until I'm dead in the ground, grow manic and sickening I am down on my knees praying to my maker it starts to become ever-so clear that tonight:

I'm leaving Moralton, once and for all.

God Forgive me.

Love Always:

Orel Puppington


End file.
